1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of storing information including data of target discharge trays of printed sheets and secret codes in association with each other, and upon entering a corresponding secret code, notifying information of a target discharge tray on which discharged printed sheets are discharged.
2. Description of the Related Art
Networking of apparatuses using a LAN (Local Area Network) has been increasingly popular in recent years, and it has created cases where a single image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine is linked to a network, making it possible to share the image forming apparatus among a plurality of terminal apparatuses. In cases where the image forming apparatus shared over the network has only one discharge tray, it is impossible to automatically sort out a plurality of print jobs to print or to print by user, which forces the users to sort out the printed documents manually by themselves. Hence, an image processing apparatus is provided with a sorter function that sorts out to discharge printed sheets to a plurality of discharge trays, so that printed sheets are automatically sorted out, allowing users to readily obtain their printed sheets of their requests.
An image forming apparatus using the sorter is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 10-29752 (1998) and JP-A 6-169367 (1994).
JP-A 10-29752 discloses an image forming apparatus that keeps on discharging printed sheets to a same discharge tray, once a user transmitted image data, so long as the user further transmits succeeding print requests before removing the printed sheets of his previous requests from the discharge tray.
Also, JP-A 6-169367 discloses an image forming apparatus that discharges printed sheets to a particular discharge tray by means of a sorter, and displays on the monitor a list including the selected discharge tray and request sender information in association with each other, so that one can readily confirm the state of the sorted printed sheets.
However, the image forming apparatus disclosed in JP-A 10-29752 is not provided with means to notify where the printed sheets are discharged, and therefore, the user has to find out the discharge tray to which the printed sheets of his request were discharged. Hence, in cases where an apparatus is provided with a number of discharge trays or where a number of print jobs are processed, it is difficult for users to find target printed sheets of their requests.
Also, the image processing apparatus disclosed in JP-A 6-169367 displays both the request sender information and the discharge tray holding the printed sheets on the monitor. However, because the information is displayed in the form of a list, anyone can know who requested the printed sheets. This raises a problem that anyone can readily know the contents of the printed sheets. In addition, because more than one item of information is displayed, there is a problem that one may misunderstand the information and pick up printed sheets for someone else.
An image forming apparatus of the invention receives a secret code and print data upon receipt of a print request from a terminal apparatus, and stores information including data of a target discharge tray for printed sheets sorted out by a sorter and a secret code in association with each other. Thus, when the user enters the secrete code using input means, notifying means notifies the user of the target discharge tray information corresponding to the secret code, thereby making it easier for the user to pick up the printed sheets sorted out by the sorter. In addition, because the target discharge tray information is notified upon entering the secret code, no one can know who requested the discharged printed sheets. Further, because only the information of target discharge tray regarding the user""s printed sheets is available to the user as necessary, it never happens that he picks up someone else""s printed sheets by mistake.
Hence the invention provides an image forming apparatus connected to a plurality of terminal apparatuses via a network, comprising:
receiving means for receiving print data and a secret code specific to the print data as a print job from any of the terminal apparatuses via the network;
sorter means having a plurality of discharge trays to which a print sheet corresponding to the print job received by the receiving means is discharged;
controlling means for processing the print job received by the receiving means to sort out the printed sheet corresponding to the print job and discharge onto a particular discharge tray of the sorter means;
secret code storing means for storing information of the particular discharge tray to which the printed sheet corresponding to the print job was discharged, as target discharge tray information in association with the secret code specific to the print data;
input means for inputting the secret code; and
notifying means for checking a coincidence between the secret code inputted by the input means and the secret code stored in the secret code storing means, and notifying a user of the target discharge tray information corresponding to the secret code stored in the secret code storing means which coincides with the code inputted.
The image forming apparatus is shared by a plurality of terminal apparatuses via a network, receives print data and a secret code specific to the print data as a print job from any of the terminal apparatuses by the receiving means, and processes the print job to output printed sheets. When sheets are printed, controlling means controls sorter means, and selects a particular discharge tray among the discharge trays and discharges the printed sheets to the selected discharge tray. Then, the controlling means stores data of the discharge tray to which the printed sheets were discharged and the corresponding secret code in secret storing means. The secret code is to be used to obtain information of a target discharge tray by a user.
The image forming apparatus comprises the input means for inputting a command from the user, and the notifying means for notifying the user of information. Thus, when the user enters the secret code using the input means in order to pick up printed sheets, the secret code entered is compared with the secret code stored in the secret code storing means to check whether they coincide with each other, so that the target discharge tray information corresponding to the secret code entered is passed onto the notifying means.
According to the invention the image forming apparatus receives print data and a secret code specific to the print data upon receipt of a print request from a terminal apparatus, and stores the target discharge tray for the printed sheets sorted out by a sorter and the secret code in association with each other. Thus, when the user enters the secret code using the input means, the notifying means notifies the user of the information of target discharge tray corresponding to the secret code. Consequently, with the image forming apparatus, the user can readily know which discharge tray received the printed sheets of his request. Also, because the target discharge tray information cannot be notified unless the secret code entered by the printer user coincides with the one stored in the secret code storing means, the secret code can be used as a password. Thus, one can never know who requested which printed sheets. Further, because only the discharge trays corresponding to the secret code as entered are subject to display, it never happens that the user picks up someone else""s printed sheets by mistake.
In the invention it is preferable that the secret code is composed of basic information for identifying one of the terminal apparatuses and the user who has requested printing, and appended information.
The secret code is composed of the basic information to identify the terminal apparatus or the user who requested the printing and appended information to identify each of the print jobs received from the user having the same basic information.
According to the invention, since the secret code is composed of the basic information for identifying the terminal apparatus or the user who requested the printing job, and appended information for identifying each of the print jobs requested by the user having the same basic information, even when one user sends a plurality of print jobs, it is possible to deal with the information of target discharge trays corresponding to the respective print requests. Also, because the user is allowed to use universal basic information and make a difference only by the appended information, it is easy for the user to create a secret code. In addition, when the user picks up the printed sheets of his request, he can find all of the printed sheets having the same basic information at once by merely entering the basic information. Thus, it is not necessary for the user to repeatedly enter secret codes when he picks up printed sheets after sending a plurality of job requests.
In the invention it is preferable that upon notification of the target discharge tray information by the notifying means, the sorter means is controlled so that a space between the target discharge tray and a discharge tray placed directly above is enlarged.
The sorter means of the image forming apparatus is controlled by the controlling means so as to create a larger space between the target discharge tray holding the printed sheets and the discharge tray right above upon receipt of the information of target discharge tray, thereby making it easier for the user to pick up the printed sheets.
According to the invention, upon receipt of the target discharge tray information from the notifying means, the sorter means is controlled by the controlling means so as to create a larger space between the discharge tray holding the printed sheets the user is to pick up and the discharge tray right above. Hence, not only can the user readily recognize the discharge target of the printed sheets, but also easily pick up the printed sheets from the target discharge tray.
In the invention it is preferable that the image forming apparatus further comprises:
detection means for detecting whether a printed sheet is present on the respective discharge trays or not; and
discharged sheets number storing means for storing a number of printed sheets discharged to each of the discharge trays, and
the sorter means selects a discharge tray to which no printed sheet is discharged, in response to an output from the detection means, and in the case where a printed sheet is present on all of the discharge trays, in response to an output of the discharged sheets number storing means, the sorter means selects a discharge tray on which a least number of printed sheets are present, from among the discharge trays.
The image forming apparatus includes the detection means for detecting whether a printed sheet is present on a discharge tray or not, and when discharging a printed sheet, the sorter means selects a discharge tray on which no printed sheet is present, in response to an output from the detection means. Additionally the image forming apparatus comprises the discharged sheets number storing means for storing a number of printed sheets discharged to each of the discharge trays, and in cases where no empty discharge tray is found, the image forming apparatus, selects, in response to an output from the discharged sheets number storing means, a discharge tray having the least number of printed sheets thereon from among the discharge trays to discharge the printed sheet.
Thus, the workload of the user to go through all sets of printed sheets, in order to find the printed sheets of his request, thereby making it easier for the user to reach the printed sheets of his request.
In the invention it is preferable that the image forming apparatus further comprises:
detection means for detecting whether a printed sheet is present on the respective discharge trays or not, and
in cases where the detection means detects that printed sheets present on an arbitrary discharge tray are completely removed therefrom, the secret code storing means deletes information corresponding to the discharge tray from which the printed sheets are removed, and the discharged sheets number storing means updates a value stored therein to zero, which value represents that the discharge tray is empty.
The image forming apparatus includes the detection means for detecting whether a printed sheet is present on each of the discharge trays. In cases where the detection means detects that the printed sheets are removed completely from any of the discharge trays, the secret code storing means is preset so as to delete the secret code and related information of the discharge tray from which the printed sheets are removed completely, while the discharged sheets number storing means is preset so as to update the value stored therein to zero, the value representing the number of discharged sheets to the discharge tray from which the printed sheets are removed completely.
According to the invention, the image forming apparatus includes the secret code storing means for storing the target discharge tray of the printed sheets and the secret code in association with each other, and the discharged sheets number storing means for storing the number of the printed sheets discharged to each discharge tray. However, in cases where the user picks up the printed sheets without entering the secret code, there arise problems that obsolete information remains in the secret code storing means, and that the discharged sheets number storing means shows incorrect values thereafter. In case of such a situation, which is when all of the printed sheets on any of the discharge trays are removed to empty, the secret code storing means is preset so as to delete the secret code and related information accumulated for the discharge tray from which the printed sheets are removed to empty. The discharged sheets number storing means is preset so as to update the value stored therein to zero, the value representing the number of sheets present on the discharge tray from which the printed sheets are removed to empty. Consequently, it is possible to erase obsolete information from the secret code storing means, and thereby improving the memory utilization and correcting the value in the discharged sheets number storing means to an updated value.